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General Troubleshooting

Troubleshooting Process & Example

Follow the flow chart shown below to guide you through the process of troubleshooting a machine or software issue. An example is provided that explains, for each step, what information is required or what actions need to be taken.

Troubleshooting Process Flowchart
Symptoms:
Y2 motor(right side) does not stop when homing all axes in Mach4.
Recent changes:
Machine partially disassembled for move to new shop, then reassembled.
List affected components:
  • Y Axis motors
  • Mach4
  • Proximity sensors
List assumptions:
  • Y Axis motors are functioning correctly.
  • Mach4 configuration has not changed and was not affected by change of machine location.
List possible causes:
  1. Faulty proximity sensor connected to Y2-- port on Plug and Play CNC Controller.
  2. Cable for Y2-- proximity sensor connected to incorrect input on Plug and Play CNC Controller.
Test to eliminate likely causes:
  1. Faulty sensor test: Place metal object in front of sensor. Ensure LED at base of sensor illuminates when metal is present. If LED does not illuminate, test sensor connected to known good cable.

    Result: LED functions as expected.
  2. Incorrect port test: Place metal in front of sensor, check which sensor is illuminated in Mach4 Diagnostics tab.

    Result: Cable for Y2-- sensor plugged into Y1-- port. Incorrect inputs caused Y1 motor to stop before reaching sensor flag.
Issue Resolved:
Swapping Y1-- and Y2-- sensor cables to the correct ports on Plug and Play CNC Controller caused homing sequence to execute as expected.

Troubleshooting Information

For more detailed troubleshooting information, reference the machine-specific sections.

Not finding what you're looking for or need more assistance? Please don't hesitate to Contact Us.

When contacting us for troubleshooting assistance, please be ready to provide as much information as possible to help facilitate a quick resolution to your issue. This information includes the following:

  • Machine specifications
    • Model
    • Size
    • Electronics (N23, N34, Plug and Play, DIY, etc.)
    • Order number (order date if order number not available)
    • Cutting tool (spindle, router, plasma, other)
  • Symptoms
  • Recent changes
  • What potential solutions you've tried already
  • Relevant files for diagnostics (if applicable)